August is all about rain.
Many a rain soaked hour is spent in counting the advantages of mountain monsoons….there is no water logging, there are these clouds undergoing mountaineering courses who reach the top and get puffed out of existence, the forest seems to get a zing of its own with mushrooms, creepers and new foliage, ginger tea never tasted so good, and then, scary monsoon news updates scare away tourists and visitors ( which means that there are many long days to savour).
There are some disadvantages too, if you like to look out for them–the rains mean landslides and iffy journeys to Kathgodam, these clouds can swirl and twirl to make visibility non-existent, the forest gets its own army of leeches and creepy caterpillars who munch and mutilate the new foliage, how many varieties of gourd can one eat, and then, scary monsoon news updates scare away friends and visitors ( which means that many a long awaited visit gets postponed).
For our family, August means waking up and peering at the sky (with sleepy specs) and poking the grass ( with doggy paws), and figuring out if a walk to the golf course can happen. We usually get it right. The dogs always vote for a walk, and I would love to follow suit, but drying four wet and stinky dogs is not the best way to begin a day. I am, of course, immensely blessed with this dotty poncho which keeps me dry and neat even when the rain is pattering all over the dots! We have walked past mushroom patches, wild begonias blooming on mossy rocks, impromptu streams of muddy water and plastic waste, and the remains of leopard kills. Monsoons are all about large herds of bemused bulls, drifting between the golf course and the forest slopes during day, and gathering at the Rezengela Ground ( in front of our apartments) during night. Leopard attacks are a common disturbance at night, which set the dogs barking loudly and long. I have learnt to brandish a fly-swatter in my sleep to silence them. It hurts their egos, to be whacked like a pesky fly, and they promptly go back to a sound sullen sleep.
Afternoon naps and the monsoons are made for each other. Everyone should try to cuddle two ( or more dogs), stretch out on this bay window, and get lulled to sleep with the rhythm of the pouring rain on the other side of the glass. The fact that everything on the other side of the glass is wet and drippy, while we are warm and dry just makes everything feel a tiny bit more appealing and comfortable.. Ginger tea, after this snooze, is what I am drinking right now.
Reading this post may give the impression that my life is all about dogs and delicious food and decadent living. I have been silent about knitting, the gang of merry knitters, the knitted items, and the sale of knitwear… not for long, though!
This cowl, made from some special Scandinavian sock yarn, has been a lesson in what smart-simple single rib can be made to achieve. Knitted on needles of different thickness, I was able to get a soft and warm neck-warmer which has already visited the golf course this morning. A free pattern from my favourite online magazine, the Sallah cowl is an easy but exciting project to start your knitting this season. Have begun a new cabled project, but more of that in a later post.
This post has been written to help me digest an amazing lunch, which included karela fries ( my favourite gourd and my favourite recipe) and some delicious red rice from the valley below our hill.
Slow food, slow knitting, slow living — there’s a lot to be said for the slow life in August!